Fusfoo
Where'd Wrestling Come From?
- from Gabriela B
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- Wellsboro Area High School
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- 1523 views
The origins of wrestling date back to the times of the Sumerians, which was over 5,000 years ago. A little unknown fact was that wrestling was also in Ancient Egypt. It has been discovered in tomb drawings. For the Greeks, wrestling was an art and it was very important for training young men. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, wrestling was practiced by the elite of society.
Professional wrestling was started in France in 1830. The wrestlers had no way to get in touch with other professional wrestlers so they formed groups that traveled around France showcasing their talent. Included in the traveling groups were wild animals, exhibitors, tightrope walkers and bearded women. Most of the time they challenged the public to knock them down for 500 Francs (French money).
In 1848 French showman Jean Exbroyat made a modern rule that stated that you could not execute holds below the waist. This new style was called Flat Hand Wrestling. In 1898 The first Professional World Champion was named. His name was Paul Pons and he was a Frenchman. In 1904 Freestyle Wrestling appeared to the public at the St. Louis Games. During the Fourth Olympic Games in London in 1908 competitions were in both styles. At the 1912 Olympic Games there was no time limit. So Finnish wrestler Alfred Johan Asikainen and Russian Martin Klein were on the mat for 11 hours and 40 minutes. Sadly Female wrestling was just acknowledged at the 2004 Athens Games. The future looks bold and bright for wrestling.